Some of the people I am talking to are instructors or claim to have a huge amount of hours over some time so its rather confusing. Obviously i try to listen as these all have more experience but this just dint seem right - and it wasn't lol.
Flying hours and experience are not always the same thing. Some people have flown a thousand hours, and some have flown the same hour a thousand times!.
Flying in, and around London's Controlled Airspace is just a case of getting all your ducks in a row before you set off, and having some 'plan Bs' in place in case things don't work out as you planned. Heathrow CTR is Class D just like East Midlands, so don't be afraid to ask for a crossing if you want one. Just be prepared in case you don't get it! Also be aware that a lot of the Zone is over large built up areas, so even if you get a crossing clearance it may be impractical to maintain a safe altitude over them.
In my experience, Stanstead has always been reluctant to allow crossings, so if I was routing Nottingham -Southend, I would plan via Haverehill and Brain (Braintree) The extra time will only be a couple of mins
To Stapleford you can route direct through the gap between Luton and Stansted, but on a nice day this is a VERY busy gap, and on a poor weather day, you are very restricted in your wriggle room to dodge around the showers so if you want a lower stress flight you can still route via Haverhill and Brain.
Don't let any of this put you off, though. It's all in the planning and having the information you need organised in the cockpit.
MJ
